Method of making metal parts for ring binders



Sept. 4, 1945., J. SCHADE 2,384,134

METHOD OF MAKING METAL PARTS FOR RING BINDERS Filed Aug. 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Q mvgm-ba L/QH/V Sa /no:

BY m h- M ATTORNEYS J. SCHADE Sept. 4, 1945.

METHOD OF MAKING METAL PARTS FOR RING BINDERS Filed Aug. 23, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 4, 1945 ,METHOD OF MAKING METAL PARTS Fo' RING BINDERS John Schade, Holyoke, Mass., assignor to National 7 I Blank Book Company, Holyoke, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 23, 1944. Serial No. 550,694

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making toggle elements and paper holding rings for ring binders.

The present application is a continuation in part of my pending application Serial No. 514,921, filed December 20,1943, and allowed March 18, 1944. Claims 1 to 3 of thisapplication are the allowed claims of said former application. The reason forthe present application is that I have devised a particular way of arranging the method steps which is not disclosed in the first application. This particular way is very useful and I' desire to make a full disclosure of it. The method in its broader aspects is the same in both applications. v

The purpose is to providefor more-economical manufacture of the flat toggle plate type of mechanism with its paper holding prongs. This type is generally well known and widely used. It is commonly the most expensive type to make and although expensive, it is used because of its high operating efficiency. 1

Iiwill disclose my invention and show the way by which a-substantial reduction in cost may be reached in manufacturing this one of the best known and widely desired ring binder mecha- 'msms. I will also disclose the preferred way of arranging the method steps. As will be made clear, the order of steps in carrying out the method may be varied and still accomplish its main purpose. There is a particular Way of arranging the order of the steps which is preferred for reasons which I will point out.

In the drawings,

1 indicates a flattened wire strip or plate with a piercing operation on it; Fig. 2 indicates the same strip with some ring wires assembled and about to be assembled with the plate;

Fig. 3 is a section on 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is like Fig. 2 with additional steps inl dicated; I

.Fig. 5 is like Fig. 4 with additional steps indicated;

Fig. 6 is a forward end view of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 indicates a portion of a finished toggle plate with finished ring parts on it;

Y Fig. 8 shows a complete flat toggle plate ring mechanism with its spring plate indicated by dot and dash lines;

Fig. 9 is a top view of a complete assembly;

. .Fig. 9A is a detail of the ring joint;

Fig. 10 is an end view of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a. similar view but as if the rings of Fig. 9 were opened; and

Fig. 12 is a somewhat diagrammatic view indicating the work station arrangement for a preferred order of method steps.

The steps of my improved method are for making all parts shown assembled in Figs. 8 to 11 mechanism except the springcover plate. The latter is made in the ordinary way. I

This method will be carried out by machinery but it can be done by hand and will be described in steps to be performed either way.

Referring to Fig. 1, the first step is to; feed a flattened wire strip 1, usually called aLplate, with its forward part located at aworkstation. At such station the plate has one or more holes as 3, conveniently twlo, punched through it. The plate is then fed forward and an unworked portion is provided .withadditionalholes. -;This work is repeated at the first work station inpauses between a step by step feed of plate I.

At a second work station, ring forming 'r wires 4 are fed over the plate for the wire ends toregister with holes 3. It is convenient to feed them two at a time but they canqbe fed in any number at a time. Consider the 'lefthandpair in Fig. 2, the dotted portions extending from wires 4 indicate the movement to hook the. bent ends 5 in hole 3. When this is done the wires 4 are cut to length. can be done andat-thesame time and at the same workstation the ends of the wire supply maybe bent into hook ends 5. This prepares for a succeeding pair ofrin'g portions tobe cut off. .As an. additional step atthe second work station the bent ends 5 are fastened to plate I by heading over to make a rivethead (orby welding or both), as indicated in Fig; 3. If welded it would not be-necessary tomakethe bends or pierce th holes.

At a third work station the wires 4 are partially formed by curving them as indicated at 6 in Figs. 4, 5, and 6-. They might. be curved to the final form shown at I in Fig. 6, but I prefer a two step curving ors'haping operation to avoid strain on the joint fastening the ringwire on the plate I. At this same station the outer ends of the bent portions 5 are provided with half joints by cutting the ends. The preferred type of joint 8 is indicated in Fig. 9. It is shown enlarged and opened in Fig. 9A. joint byjitself is not new. Other types could be' used. The particular one shown has the advantage that the joint form maybe the, same on the endsof'all ring halves. If they were; for example, half joints of male and female of sir'n'p l V shape, they would need to be paired for fitting. The type shown does not require this kind of pairing of joints. It is a detail subject useful in con: si'dering the work of assembling the structure madeby my method into the form of Fig. 8.

At the fourth workstation the'final' curved form I of Fig. 6 is made and nib's' -2""are, swaged on the edge of plate I as indicated iniFigfll'. p

Ata fifth station the plate is cut off a'finished length of plate 1 with parts assembledjon it. Such lengths may be cut 011' for any predetermined length of ring binder structure. The work cle; livered-from the last. station is indicated in Fig. '7.

' J'oint ends are seen at 8. 7 formed at the third work station by cutting tools Working on successive pairs of ring wires, as I have stated, I now point out that, the pair of wires 1 as seen in Fig. 7 are fully formed. The

cutting from within the curve outwardly. By cutting this Way any little burr formed by the cutting is left on the outside where it will not contact the edge of the perforated paper when turning on the rings. Other forms of interfitting ends can be cut rather than those shown at 8 but the iatter are preferred for the reason stated;

They are preferably I prefer to have the ends of successive wires at gered in Fig. '7. This results from staggering the lengths of wires 4 as cut in the positions of Fig. 2. I will refer later to the purpose when considering the finished article.

It will now be seen that as strip I is fed in measured amounts with pauses in the feeding, the described operations may be carried on simultaneously and progressively. The result is that the strip I may be of long or of indefinite length and later out off to size. Also the wires 4 may be long or of indefinite length and they are cut ofl to size. The method as planned re,- sults in making a continuous length of a toggle plate and ring wire product. As it emerges from the last work station this product of composite elements, is finished except for being cut off to fit aparticular size binder. And as before stated the cutting off to length desired may be done conveniently at the last station.

It is a help in the factory to cut off the. product in long lengths suitable for economical handling and storing. Thus when the product is needed to make any one of the many binder sizes, only the lengths to fit the binder sizes being made at a particular time need be cut off. The long lengths of product available for the purpose avoid the common need for keeping all the sizes in a stock room to supply the varying demands of the factory departments. i l

The method steps to make the product may be briefly summarized with. the help of Fig. 12, a diagrammatic view. Flattened wirel of indefinite or long lengths may be fed through the progressive work stations I to V. The preferred way or performance, considered as working station steps, is the following. At the firststation I. the holes 3 are punched. At the second station II, material for the cross wires 4 is fed from long lengths, cut off with the feeding ends bent over as before described, and with these ends passing through holes 3 they are headed over underneath the plate I. At the third station III the partial form 6 is given to the hooks' and the joints 8 are made. At the fourth station IV the complete form 1 is given to the hooks or ring halves and nibs 2 formed on the plate. And at the fifth the formed and finishedassembly is cut off to desired lengths by cutting across plate I after enough pairs of rings have moved past station IV togive the desired length. Theorder of steps .may be varied to a considerable degree without departing from the main spiritof the invention. 7

I will point out someexamples later; The preferred order has definiteadvantages which I will now point out.

By forming the nibs 2 at or near the last against guides for accurate positioning. By headmg over bent ends 5 at station II where W IT S '8 may then be cut with the tool moving horizontally across the ends of partial ring form 6 to be 'shape'd for joints 8. In contrast the tool would need to be moved vertically if the joints were made at the ends of completed ring form 1. And considering that it is desirable as previously mentioned, i. e. from the inside 'of the curve outwardly, to out the joint 8 so as to leave any resulting' burr on the outside of the ring as finally assembled, the utility in the special provision of room for this operation will be seen. This is provided for by following the preferred way of practicing the method.

Comparison with my above mentioned pending application for which this is a continuation in part will show the principal difierence in the following respect: The herein described particular way of practicing'the method and the reasons for its advantages. By the additional disclosure I do not intend to narrow the scope of my invention within the limits of the preferred way of practicing it but to amplify my previous disclosure and make it more useful.

The method is adapted for practice with various changes in the order of arrangement. Some examples are changing the timed order of form.- ing nibs 2; thenumber of wires '4 fed at one time; changing from the riveting way of fastening wires 4 to a welding for-m;- cutting off lengths of the assembly at station IV rather than at station V; forming joints 8 of alternate male and female V joint ends on ends of wires 4 or other types of joints at either stations III or IV; cutting the outer ends of wires 4 for equal length instead of staggeredlength and feeding the supply of plate wire I with already punched holes 3. The reason for the staggered length has been mentioned, i. e. for easier threading on of paper. This feature indicated in the joint arrangement'of Fig. 9 is very easy to build into the product without expense or detail inconvenience when my method is followed. Some other variations of the method to make a like product will be obvious to the man skilled in the art when he gets my disclosure as, given. 7 v V The product, consisting of the plate with its ring wire parts is shown in matched form in Figs. 8 toll. Each successive nib 2 of the series seen in Fig. 8 is on a different one of the tog plates. One toggle plate may be considered as having been made up at the same time as the other one and in the same position. That is, a sufiicient length of toggle plate I with rings on it can be cut to make the two halves of the toggle mechanism of Fig. 8. The two halves should be cut to'match asshown. In getting this result it may be necessary to cut out a waste piece from the length made by methodas illustrated. The situation will be s'een from the following consideration.

Each portion of the mechanism at each end of the structure beyond the end rings is about equal to the spacing between the rings as'seen in Fig. 8. This means that in the particular example illustrated there would be small waste pieces when the long'length produced by the method is cut up to make duplicate structures of what is shown in Fig. 8. But this is not true of other sizes. For example, when a ring binder mechanism with ring spacing on three-quarter inch centers is being made a lengthbeyond end rings of three-eighths of an inch is customary. This would be provided for by cutting the long length exactly between the ring centers. There would be no waste piece in the cutting up of the long product. And in those sizes in which a small waste piece is indicated the amount of the waste may be minimized. One way to keep it low is to intermittently omit the feeding of wire 4 to any space on plate I in the practice of the method when such space will be cut out as a waste in making a particular size.

It will be clear that the subject just treated is a detail one of measurement in adapting the method to the many sizes of ring'binders. To pursue it further would unduly prolong the description. The practical mechanic can make these adjustments of the method to avoid waste. In any event the economy of the method will much more than compensate for small waste in some sizes and I have pointed out that the method may be practiced without even the small waste mentioned when the size of binder being made is appropriate for the cutting off the desired length from the continuously produced product.

It will be seen from considering the structure of Figs. 8 to 11 and from the description taken as a whole that my method gives a very useful result in making a very high grade product in ring binder mechanisms.

Having disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. The method of making fiat toggle plate ring binder mechanisms which consists in feeding flattened wire as a plate of indefinite length step by step past work stations and operating at the work stations to provide toggle plate nibs and holes for the ring wires, feeding unformed ring wire material from a source of continuous supply, giving hook form to cut off ends of such wire ma terial, engaging the hooked ends into said holes, permanently fastening said hooked material to said plate, shaping the wire material to ring prong form, making fitting half joints on the upper ends of the formed prongs and carrying on these steps so as to progressively carry on the making of a substantially continuous strip of formed toggle plate and ring prong product for the purpose described.

2. The method of making flat toggle plate ring binder mechanisms which consists in feedin flattened wire as a plate of indefinite length step by step past work stations, feeding unformed ring wire material with the end on the plate, cutting off ring portion lengths from the wire material, permanently fastening their inner ends to the plate, afterwards shaping said wire lengths to ring form, then cutting fitting half joints on the upper ends of said lengths, providing toggle bearing portions on one edge of said plate, and carrying on these steps so as to progressively carry on the making of a substantially continuous strip of formed toggle plate and ring prong product for the purpose described.

3. The method of making flat toggle plate ring binder mechanisms which consists in feeding flattened wire as a plate of long length step by step past Work stations, intermittently feeding unformed ring wire material with the ends on the plate, cutting ofi ring portion lengths from the ring wire material, permanently fastening their inner ends to the plate, shaping said wire lengths to ring form, cutting half joints on the upper ends of said lengths some of them being complementary half joints to adjacent ones, providing toggle bearing portions on one edge of said plate, carrying on these steps so as to progressively carry on the making of a long length of formed toggle plate and ring product from which equal lengths may be cut and matched for the purpose described.

4. The method of making flat toggle plate ring binder mechanisms which consists in feeding flattened wire as a long narrow plate lengthwise and step by step past work stations and operating at the work stations to provide holes for ring wires, feeding unformed ring wire material from a long supply, giving hook form to cut oif ends of such wire material, engaging the hooked ends into vsaid holes, permanently fastening said hooked material to said plate, making fitting half joints on the free ends of such material, shaping the wire material to ring prong form, providing toggle plate nibs on one edge of said plate and carrying on these steps in any desired order at the work stations to progressively carry on the making of a formed toggle plate and ring prong product for the purpose described.

5. The method of making toggle plate ring binder mechanisms which consists in feeding flattened wire as a long narrow plate lengthwise and step by step past work stations, feeding unformed ring wire material from a long supply and in transverse direction to said plate, cutting ofl said material in lengths, suitable for ring halves, with overlying short portions of said lengths in spaced relation on said plate, permanently joining said lengths to the plate as by riveting or welding the end portions on the plate, providing fitting half joints on the free ends of said lengths, shaping the free portions of said lengths to ring prong form, providing toggle plate nibs on one edge of said plate and carrying on these steps in any desired order to progressively carry on the making of a formed toggle plate and ring prong product at such work stations for the purpose described.

6. The method of making flat toggle plate ring binder mechanisms which consists in feeding flattened wire lengthwise as a long relatively narrow plate which is provided with holes for ring wires, to a work station, operating at such station to feed one or more strandsof ring wire material from a supply, cutting off in ring half length and giving hook form to cut off and corresponding ends of such material, engaging the hooked ends into said holes in the plate, riveting such ends to the plate, then moving the plate with its assembly to other and spaced work stations as the narrow plate is fed to the first mentioned work station by a step by step feeding of the said plate and at the succeeding work stations operating to partially shape the ring wire material enough to position its outer end face to horizontal position, to make fitting half joints on said ends of such material in that position, to finally shape the material into ring prong form and carrying on these steps so as to progressively carry on the making of a substantially continuous strip of formed toggle plate and ring prong product adapted to be cut up in lengths desired for sizes of ring binders and to be assembled with spring plates all substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN- SCHADE. 

